Avoiding them at all costs hurt him as well as them. He couldn't stay away for long, but rather, watched them in secret. There was Kairi, sitting in her room, hugging her pillow for comfort as a photo album laid in front of her, displaying memories of better times. A humorless smile crossed his face as he remembered Riku telling him how if he looked in a mirror or took a picture, he might not show up. The later parts of the album contained Sora, washed out from the flash of the camera.

Kairi traced a figure in the picture she was looking at and he maneuvered himself to catch a better view of the little snapshot of himself. It was after the traveling ordeal, but before the vampire problem. He looked rather healthy and bright, something he no longer possessed.

He was sure if he could cry, his eyes would be brimming with tears as he held back emotion. Biting his pale lip, he slipped off of the darker part of the balcony railing and paced to the glass doors that lead to the girly room and tapped on the glass.

The deep red hair swirled as Kairi turned to face him, instantly rushing to the door. Opening them, she flung herself at the boy.

"Where'd you go?" she demanded. "Riku and I have been so worried! You've been gone for months!"

He placed his hand on her crown and ruffled her hair affectionately. God knew he loved her. His chest seized.

"Kairi I--" soft lips were pressed against his so very suddenly, how did he not see that coming? Push her away. Hold her back. Hurt her, now!

"Do you really want to?"

No, but he had to.

It hurt as he kissed her back so carefully, inhaling that intoxicating scent, making him want her so badly. His conscience nudged him, reminding him to to-- I know, I know!

They parted as the girl had to breathe. Her eyes wet with unshed tears as she let out a sob.

"I love you! Please don't leave again!"

He was going to cry and sob, like he had done in front of them several times--

"Get a hold of yourself! ... Are you sure about this?

"More than anything, Roxas."

And he broke that pretty little heart of her. The purest hearts for lightyears. Telling her lie after lie after lie with a hurtfully easy smile. And she broke.

Riku had come to see him at his own home. He was yelling at him for what he did to Kairi and he turned to his friend with a stony face. It was so hard. To hard.

"Help me Roxas!"

"Alright..."

And as Roxas took his vocal cords, he did a surprisingly good imitation of his Somebody. "Fuck you, Riku."

And never did he see either again.

Sitting on that tiny island that went off from a larger tiny island, he watched the sun set with an aching head and burning eyes. He missed the sunset with unprotected eyes. He was done crying and he was done living and loving and feeding and everything else. Months without a single drop of blood had done nothing to waste him away.

He never forgot his friend or his love. In the dark of the night, he would watch her sobbing into her pillow, crying out for her missing love. Riku was always angry at everything and everyone and he was so scared his friend would fall back into darkness. It was only his promise to his ex-best friend that kept Riku from doing so, Riku once said to Kairi as she addressed it.

He had done his own research and caught some things Riku had missed or skipped purposely on account of that Riku didn't want to kill his best friend. He was go to the public library when he was sure Riku or Kairi wouldn't walk in, like during school and if he sensed either, he was vanish.

He had left his parents house, leaving a long and falsely-detailed note about how he had gotten "a letter from King Mickey, you remember I talked about him? Well, I need to go out and save a bunch of worlds again." He went all mushy in saying how he loved and would miss them and hopes to be back, because there is always the chance he will die. He watched his parents confront Kairi and Riku, who had gotten similar letters. Now, it was only Kairi and Riku who knew he was on the islands. What they didn't know was that he had always been there.

All techniques of vampire death were either improbable or didn't work. He covered his mouth as he looked into the water beneath his feet. His reflection was distorted by the rippling waves of the ocean. He had just tried to drown himself, only to find he didn't need to breathe.

A sigh and the vampire buried his face in his hand, letting out a loud cry of frustration.

"I'm so sorry, Sora." What did you do? "You're so helpless and I can't do a damn thing." Sorry I'm trying to kill us both. "It's for the best, I understand." Don't lie, because I know you are. "I wasn't supposed to exist. So, it's not like you'd be killing me anyway." I want to... I want to...

Red filled his vision, obscuring everything around him. And as he cried, a drop of his own blood fell from where tears should have fallen.

A presence behind him. Jumping to his feet, he withdrew Oathkeeper, holding it at ready. His Other was ready to lend his strength as well.

A man with fiery red hair stood on the bridge between the islands. His young, soft features were shaded by a cap and rather large sunglasses.

"You, you! It's you!" was his frustrated accusation. "What are you doing back here?! I told you if I saw you on these islands again, I'd treat you like a Heartless!"

"Still as ready for a fight as ever, are we, Sora?" How was he so damn casual?! It made the boy want to kill him.

"Sora's dead!" was a duo reaction from the vessel that had taken the man aback. A red brow raised. "He died when he attacked his friend! He died when he tried to feed off of the girl he loved! He died when he considered changing his friends. Sora is no more."

"What shall I call you then?"

"Nothing," the boy breathed, as he dropped Oathkeeper and it disappeared in a sparkle. "I am nothing, now."

Removing those large glasses to expose himself to the grieving boy, the man's expression was sympathetic as he stepped closer to him. Nothing was said as the man touched his chin and tilted it to face him.

"You're hungry. When did you eat last?"

"Seven months, two days, and fifteen hours ago."

"Have you gone into town?"

"Yes."

"Do you crave the human blood there?"

"Only the blood of one." he pulled himself away from the man, not looking at him.

"And whose is that?"

"The blood of the one I love. The blood of the purest of heart. The blood of Kairi." He tried to clear his eyes of the blood-tears, failing as he did so.

"You tried to kill her." it wasn't a question.

"A year ago." he answered, his voice breaking. Why was he bleeding from his eyes? And why so suddenly?

"How many people have you killed?"

"None."

Silence.

"How did you feed?"

"Cats and dogs. And a monkey once." He never did that again, for he thought of poor Abu in Agraba. the boy sat down, knowing the man wasn't going to be leaving anytime soon.

"Wow," the man whistled, sitting before him. "I wish I would have thought of that."

"How many... children (is that the right word?) did you Sire?"

"Just you." Surprise, surprise, surprise. "I'm sorry I never returned. I was searching for my own Sire. You see, he created me, told me nothing, and left me--"

"Just like you."

"No, I was planning on coming back. And then a coven caught me, forcing me to join. I needed information from them and I had to gain their trust to find my Sire."

"Oh..."

Silence dropped upon the vampires once more.

"So, do you still love Kairi?"

Was... was that a trick question? He was about to attack him, screaming he'd never stop loving her when Roxas calmed him down as he replied with an easy yes.

"Why is it only her blood I want? And why so badly?" he asked sadly, tracing figures in the sand.

"It's because you love her. I'm sure if I met her, even with her being a Princess of Heart, I wouldn't want her as much as you do. Yes, the Purest, Lightest blood is what fuels us the easiest and is much more desirable than that of the Dark. But, because you love Kairi so much, her blood is near irresistible." His voice was sad. Had he lost his love?